After 19 months on the sidelines, Terry Etim hopes to restart streak at UFC 138

BIRMINGHAM, England – It was just two years ago, and yet everything was so different.

In November 2009, then-23-year-old Terry Etim (14-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC) had just scored his second consecutive UFC “Submission of the Night” victory and boasted a four-fight octagon winning streak. In short, he appeared prime for breakout success.

But as he preps for a UFC 138 main-card contest with Edward Faaloloto (2-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC), Etim hopes he can reach back to that time and start another successful run.

“Being out is such a hard thing,” Etim today told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). “Fighting is my life. I’ve done it since I’ve been a kid. So to have 19 months off is a long time. I just want to get back in there on Saturday night. I’m proving to all the fans that I’m back, and I want to come back with a bang.”

Etim’s hard times began with an April 2010 submission loss to Rafael dos Anjos. The second-round defeat came minutes after Etim looked as if he was going to end the bout with his own first-round tap-out.

But then, something even worse happened. A rib injury forced him to withdraw from a planned UFC 118 bout with Joe Lauzon, and the ailment lingered for more than a year.

“Obviously it’s been hard being out so long,” Etim said. “I had the really bad rib injury, which was reoccurring, as well. After it was healed up, it re-busted again.”

So now, the 25-year-old Etim hasn’t seen the octagon in 19 months, and he hasn’t tasted victory in nearly two full years.

“I think that the was the hardest thing because it was coming off a loss, as well,” Etim said. “Before that, I was coming off four consecutive wins. If I would have gotten injured after four wins, it wouldn’t have been as bad as it is coming off of a loss.

“I’ve been dying to get back in there and try to redeem myself.”

Etim will get that chance against Faaloloto, who brings much less experience to the table and is still seeking his first win under the Zuffa banner.

Bookmakers have Etim pegged as high as a six-to-one favorite, but the Team Kaobon product insists he’s not taking his opponent lightly.

“To be honest, I’ve only seen one of his fights,” Etim admitted. “You can’t really take too much from it because I never go off one fight. I know he’s in the UFC. Everybody in the UFC is tough. I’m going take him as a very tough fight.

“I’m not going to take him lightly, but I’m definitely comfortable that when Saturday night comes, there’s only going to be one winner: me.”

For Etim, the reclamation project begins Saturday night. It’s time to shake off the cobwebs, prove he’s finally healthy again and relaunch a career that seemed so promising just 24 short months ago.

“I’ve been in the gym,” Etim said. “I’ve been training awhile. I’ve done hundreds of rounds of sparring. I’m sharper than ever, quicker than ever.

“I’ve got a great camp, great friends and great family who all support me through and said, ‘You’re going to heal up before you know it. You’re going to be back in there.’ Now I’m standing here three days before the fight, ready to go.”

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